Recorded live at Barcelona's Gran Teatre del Liceu, in March 2007, this updated version of François Prévost's story about Manon Lescaut shifts the focus from Manon to her aristocratic lover, Des Grieux.

"Because Henze uses 12-tone writing for expressive purposes, rather than as a mere device, the score is pretty easy to swallow—no more difficult than Wozzeck and Lulu … [and] the music's color and drama pull the listener along."—Classical Net

"Modern but not difficult, thanks to the composer's emotional engagement with what is, no matter how you tell it, a fascinating and a universal story. This production … is clever and cinematic, and it features extremely good singer-actors."—Fanfare